Monday, October 22, 2012

CRAFT: DIY Wood Matting

Today I'm sharing a super easy tutorial on how to make wood matting... no power tools necessary! (as much as I love using power tools..) Anyway... I break it down by steps, but in case something doesn't make sense, just shoot us an email and we'll try to help you out! eatsleepmake@gmail.com

What you will need:

A frame or an old piece of matting to use as a template

Ruler

Protractor (to make sure your angles are perfect)

Tape of any kind

Craft Knife

Pencil

4 pieces of Basswood that are longer than each side of your frame (1 piece for each side)

1 - Measure the length of your frame or matting, and mark that length on your basswood

2 - From the edge of the wood at the point you marked, use your protractor to make a mark at 45 degrees (as shown above)

3 - Use a ruler and pencil to connect the mark at the edge of the wood to your 45 degree mark... follow all the way to the other edge.

4 - Use your craft knife to cut the wood. Press firmly, but not too much. It will take a few swipes to break through.

5 - Once you do this with all 4 pieces, making sure the longest side matches the length of the perimeter of your frame/matting, fit your angles together.

5 - Use tape to hold your angles together (I used white duct tape)

6 - Now put your artwork in and frame it!

I can't even tell you how many compliments I get on the originality of this project when people visit my house. It's so easy and looks so great!

**Disclaimer: As a result of some not-so-nice comments, I feel inclined to share with you that if you are wanting to display artwork that is of any value, due to the acidity of the wood, this project is not recommended. My intention in creating this was not to display a Picasso, but a doodle of my own. Perhaps in the future I'll work on a way to remedy this issue.

Hi Shannon! I love this idea. I first stumbled upon this project via Apartment therapy. You're right... this is a DIY project and nobody on the right mind would attempt to frame their valued artwork by themselves. So just ignore those comments. Good job though!